Hey Kevin, I'm pretty sure you can I just think you're better off using charcoal from an efficiency standpoint and maybe throwing in some wood chips/chunks to get that wood fire pizza flavor.
I have watched a ton of these first timer pizza oven videos and I think I have figured them out. 1: you do not put the door back on. This process goes so fast you can't do it blind. 2: You do not let the pizza sit for more than 10 seconds, you must continually rotate it in one direction. The pie only takes about 60 seconds to cook anyway so leaving the door off won't set you back that much and I feel this is the reason 100% off all the beginner pizzas come out black. If it takes 15 seconds longer, Oh Well. I can't wait.
I'd say that's a pretty good observation I wish I would've done lol. I bought it on a whim though, so I was bound to learn the hard way. Oh well. I was able to make a few good pies and you honestly can't beat the price.
@@javierdeluna7830It's also possible to bake with the lower and slower method. I've baked with both styles. I have this oven and posted a short video on a pie I made with a lower and slower bake. SoI preheat the hell out of it, at least 45-1hr trying to get the stone blasted with heat in the higher range of what the oven is capable of-850F or more. I keep it going for a while and make sure I'm getting a rolling flame over the stone. Then I let the rolling flame die back, but not completely die down, and *that's* when I launch the pizza. That's how I can bake it longer, more like 4-5 instead of the <2 minutes for Napoletana pizza. I don't move the pie for about 2 minutes so that the crust "sets", then I add some wood to get the rolling flame going again, making sure I turn the pizza to get it to cook on all sides on top. This oven is totally doable. I think people get biased against it because it's so cheap. But it performs 80% of how a non-gas Oonis do for less than half the price of their cheapest model. You just gotta master your fire management and pizza making technique.
@@cjaquilino I've gotten much better since. That was my first crack and i thought it would be cool to show a beginner's first try. You're absolutely right about this oven being able to get the job done at such an affordable price!
As a suggestion get yourself a turning peel pizza paddle to easily consistently move the pizza around and don't close the door. This will give you less burnt pizza. Thanks for the tutorial, we are so excited for our little walmart pizza oven too! 😀
Oops I forgot to mention that 750 is the best temperature for perfect and less burnt crust. 👍 I learned this from a master pizza maker, so hope it helps someone.
@@dannybarros123 both. The oven goes to 750 in about 15-20 min but the stone takes longer. If the oven is at 750 but the stone isn't, then the top gets cooked fast but the bottom doesn't get cooked all the way evenly with the top. The temperature gun is the best tool to know the stone's temp.
These have been reduced in Walmart to $97. Picked one up even though I have full size wood oven already,. This is great to make a quick pizza! Get a perforated peel, a turning peel and an infrared thermometer.
Hey Jim, I'm using the expert grill pizza peel. It comes in a pizza kit that includes a cutter and stone. I use the extra stone as a heat deflector for my charcoal grill.
You should get an infrared thermometer you can point at the stone to know it's temperature. Usually for a stone > 900F, rotate about 10-15 seconds. At > 800F rotate about 20-25 seconds. At > 700F, rotate 30-40 seconds. The only place where I think this oven lacks is the large openings of the charcoal basket is directly next to any food closest to the back of the stone. With direct radient heat leaving the charcoal basket travelling horizontally to the nearest crust edge, I can't see how you can't burn that edge so easily...even if you rotate often. If you slowed down the horizontal transfer of heat from the basket forward, you could manage the burnt crust. I'd use a small strip of aluminum foil folded in half (like the 1st fold of paper to make a paper airplane) and place it over the front edge of the charcoal basket (or inside the basket toward the front). Though this will still get hot, this will force the heat to indirectly reach the crust at the back of the pizza stone. Ideal conditions is pizza stone around 700F rotating every 30s for about 2.5-3minutes. That should get a nice cooked crust with leopard spots on the bottom and (with the foil limiting direct heat) an unburnt crust on the circumference of the pizza. You really ONLY want to heat the food from top & bottom....not the back. The two things I really like is this can burn a lot longer for the lump charcoal & larger than 12" pizzas.
Nice video thanks for sharing just spotted this gem at local Walmart! I knew of the ooni but when I saw this at a quarter of the Cost I jumped! Have you tried it using any of the flavor pellets or a combination with charcoal?
Hey Greg thanks for the comment. I recently tried using wood chunks for that classic wood fire pizza flavor and it came out great. I probably wouldn't use pellets because they might just fall through the charcoal bucket air holes.
I just got mine set up. Im curious if you've found any instructions on regulating your temp for less heat. There isnt any dampers or vents that can be closed so my assumption is just use less charcoal?
I haven't tried that yet. What I've done is just literally turn the pizza as often as possible and they're usually done is 90 seconds or less. I think less charcoal could be a good idea for getting the hang of the timing and maybe just topping up more often.
This is it keep the door off and turn every 15 to 20 seconds. The high heat is the goal of great pizza. Also when you want to go really into heavenly pizza, look up a good Neapolitan dough recipe, this is the lightest most delicious dough that requires high heat. This oven is a miracle for 137. Seriously unattainable until now. Enjoy.
Hey Chris, no I haven't. I don't think it would work because of the size of the vents in the charcoal bucket. The pellets would fall out. I have not tried wood chunks either.
Welcome to the obsession, good video! Get yourself a round "turning peel", and a perforated regular peel, they make life a lot easier. The holes in the perforated peels allow the excess flour to drop off, so it means less burned flour on the bottom of your pizza and inside the oven. If you use a 50/50 mix of semolina and pizza flour as your dusting or "bench" flour, your pies will slide off the peels much easier too. Make your own dough, and sauce from canned plum tomatoes, both super easy, much tastier, and much, much less expensive. And your boss and co-workers will love you madly...
This oven is awesome. I use lump charcoal to heat up the oven to desired temperature. Then I add wood chunks or chips when I'm about to cook the pizza. It helps not to close the front when cooking the pizza so you could see when it needs to be turned. The pizza cooks really fast. My family loves this pizza oven.
@@javierdeluna7830 Get wood chunks, not chips. 2-3 nice chunks on top of the burning lump charcoal is perfect. Walmart carries the "Western" brand, they are good. Get apple, cherry, maple or oak if you don't want your pizza to be overpowered by smoke flavor, hickory and mesquite are VERY strong.
Thanks for the vid..how long did the first patch of charcoal lasted before you had to add more.to.keep.it.hot. like how many pizzas can you do with the first patch? Thank you
Hey Fernando, with one batch I was able to do about 7 pies but you just have to remember to let the stone heat up again after you pull a pizza out. Each pizza took about 60-80 seconds depending on how big it was.
@@fernandobruno90 It could definitely fit a spatchcocked chicken but you would have to turn it often. The oven gets REALLY hot. Unless you put like a brick in front of the coals so the heat doesn't directly hit the chicken.
